President-elect Joe Biden defended his plan to lean on Congress to pass an even bigger COVID-19 relief package in 2021 despite congressional gridlock over a bipartisan deal worth $900 billion.
Lawmakers are negotiating a package for the lame-duck session, which has attracted critics of all political persuasions. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, for instance, opposes the measure because it doesn’t contain provisions for $1,200 stimulus checks, which were included in the first COVID-19 aid package this spring.
After an economic address Friday, Biden suggested that stimulus checks were still a possibility, but he advised both sides to compromise.
“It’s not going to satisfy everybody, but the option is, if you insist on everything, you’re likely to get nothing,” he told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden declined to reveal his role in the talks, saying it would not be “a very smart thing” to reveal his strategy.
When pressed on whether he had spoken to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell yet, he only offered a cryptic response: “We’ll be in dire trouble if we don’t get cooperation, and I believe we will.”
After repeatedly describing the $900 billion package as “a down payment,” Biden was also mum on how he proposed to convince Republicans to spend even more money next Congress, especially considering the six-month delay experienced for the current framework.
“He knows me. He knows I’m as straight as an arrow when I negotiate. He knows I keep commitments and never try to embarrass the opposition,” he said of McConnell.
Biden was questioned about issues that would likely be placed on his desk after he’s sworn into office on Jan. 20, including how to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. He said the Trump administration didn’t have a “detailed plan” regarding vaccinations, though he promised he wouldn’t make the shots mandatory.
But before he gets to the White House, uncertainty surrounds Biden’s inauguration, with the pandemic continuing to upend everyday life.
Biden told reporters that “it’s highly unlikely there will be a million people” on the National Mall or “a gigantic inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.” While he anticipates there will be “a platform ceremony,” he expects the event to be similar to the Democratic National Convention last summer.
“My guess is you’ll see a lot of virtual activity in states all across America, engaging even more people than before,” he said. “The key is keeping people safe.”
Biden also confirmed that he’ll be traveling to Georgia before the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections. The outcome of the two races will determine which party controls the Senate and how easy it will be for Biden to push his agenda through Congress, given the threat of a Republican majority in the chamber.
